This invention relates to safety pins, and, in particular, to safety pins of the well-known type capable of being moved between open and closed states. These safety pins comprise a first wire limb or back shank and a second wire limb or front shank, the first wire limb having a cap at one end and being connected at the other end through an integral loop or coil to the second wire limb. An end portion of the second wire limb remote from the connection with the first wire limb is releasably engaged with the cap when the pin is in its closed state and free from the cap when the pin is in its open state. The remote end portion of the second wire limb, when engaged with the cap, is disposed and retained in a recess in the cap opening towards the first wire limb.
Safety pins of the conventional type described above have become a staple of the hobby and craft industry. Typically, these safety pins are decorated by placing ornamental beads or other decorative items on the second wire limb. These pins are then worn or otherwise displayed as decorative accessories.
One problem with using conventional safety pins is that when they are removed there is the ever present problem of the beads or other decorative items falling off the free end of the second wire limb and becoming lost or damaged. A second problem with using safety pins of the conventional type for hobby and craft work is that the only way to alleviate the first problem is to somehow permanently affix the items to the pin. However, it is often desirable to change the design or look of a decorated pin. Where the decorative items are permanently attached to the safety pin, this is clearly impossible.
Alternatively, the safety pins can be decorated by prying open the loop or coil connecting the first and second wire limbs and threading the beads or other decorative items down the second wire limb and forcing them around the coil and onto the first wire limb. While pins decorated in this manner do not suffer from the problems described above, they have their own problems. These include the inability to use items or beads beyond a certain size depending on the size of the safety pin used, damage to beads or other decorative items when forcing them around the loop and the inability to quickly and easily remove the decorative beads or other decorative items.